


Let's Take It Back To The Start

by sapphicvanessa



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-15
Packaged: 2020-01-14 17:14:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18480712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicvanessa/pseuds/sapphicvanessa
Summary: What if their paths crossed earlier?It's August 2014. Vanessa has had her affair with Rhona but is yet to meet Kirin. Charity is newly divorced from Jai but yet to sleep with Declan.Why wait until 2017?





	Let's Take It Back To The Start

It's Friday evening, but as usual, Vanessa has no plans. Rhona is looking after Leo and everyone else seems busy, but she heads for the Woolpack anyway. One pint won't hurt. But it's Friday, and when she pulls open the heavy wooden door, a quick sweep across the room shows every table occupied. While she hesitates, wondering whether to sit at the bar or head home for an early night, a shout from the corner grabs her attention. 

"Oi!" It's Charity, sitting alone having presumably driven everyone else away. "Party animal, you can sit here if you like". 

Vanessa shrugs, she's never had a proper conversation with the troublesome blonde but at least she'd have a proper seat over there. She nods her head slightly in acknowledgement and heads over, her yellow raincoat draped over her right arm. As she pulls her classic shoulder bag over her head and prepares to sit down opposite, Charity lifts her glass. 

"I've heard rumours about you lady" she whispers "apparently you're always up for a good time. Sounds like my kind of woman". 

Vanessa scoffs "In my uni days maybe, I'd like to think I've calmed down a bit since then" she muses. 

"Oh don't be a spoil sport, what you having?" Charity asks, raising an eyebrow as she gets up. 

"Surprise me" Vanessa replies. Charity nods in approval and heads for the bar. Vanessa laughs to herself, this is very unlike present-day her. "Surprise me", what was going through her head? But as she looks over at the bar to the tall blonde bobbing about trying to get the attention of Diane, a voice in the back of her mind says "fuck it". Who cares, she might as well have a bit of fun, everyone else in this village seems to. A small part of her wonders if Charity is flirting - is  _she_ flirting? That's really not like her, maybe back in vet school when she'd had a few but nowadays she hadn't given women much thought. And to be flirting with the village troublemaker, well that really wasn't her style. But that voice in the back of her mind pipes up again, and as Charity emerges from the small crowd of punters with a pint in each hand, uptight Vanessa is forgotten, her old, fun self taking control for the first time in a while. 

 

Charity places one pint in front of Vanessa, not caring for a beer mat and sits down while  taking a sip of her own. 

"Thanks" Vanessa smiles, lifting her drink slightly in gratitude. 

"Cheers" Charity says back, in her usual teasing tone. "So then..." she starts, hesitating slightly as if wondering whether to say it or not. But it's Charity, so she does. "You and Rhona eh? That caused quite a stir, little minx you aren't ya?" Vanessa raises her eyebrows, she can tell Charity is playing with her and she's not going to let her go too wild. 

"Well.... er" she laughs "It was just a, a one time thing, I mean, she's with Paddy".

"And what about you then, if you and Rhona was a 'one time thing'. Who's your Paddy?" Charity smirks

"Haven't got one" Vanessa shrugs "I'm a free spirit I guess" she jokes as Charity's eyes light up. For the first time, Vanessa notices Charity's eyes are green. A part of her wonders if beneath that tough exterior, there's a softer, more caring woman. But quickly, she shakes herself out of it, by the looks of it the woman across from her hasn't noticed Vanessa's moment to herself.  "What about you" Vanessa queries, looking up at Charity as she takes a sip of her drink. "What about that... Jai?"

"Pfft" Charity replies "That's over that is. Well and truly over. I reckon you knew that though - small village, news travels fast round 'ere".

Vanessa laughs to herself, she's got her there. 

"No chance of taking him back?" she asks, but Charity shakes her head while she drinks

"Noooo, no way. Not going back down that road." she laughs. As she does, Vanessa can see her eyes sparkle slightly. She shakes that thought out of her head, we're not getting smitten off one pint.

"Think I've gone off men for good" Charity jokes, Vanessa's heart skips a beat. Vanessa wonders again if Charity is flirting with her, or is this just her personality, her way of luring people in? Is this the game she plays? Vanessa has never heard of any rumours of Charity being into women, but then again it seems as though Charity has a new fling each month and she's not been around long enough to have heard the tales of them all just yet. Maybe she was, she definitely had a vibe. Or was that just confidence. Vanessa pondered for a while, she wasn't even sure herself what her sexuality was, but the butterflies surely must mean something. It wasn't time to stew on all that right now. Again she noticed she was daydreaming, when she pulled herself back to reality, Charity was sat back in the chair across from her, one arm folded across her chest and the other holding her drink to her lips. She raised her eyebrows at the vet. 

"Back with us are you?" she teased 

"Sorry, I...." Vanessa began. But she didn't get to finish. Out of the corner of her eye, Chas was appearing from the back and heading in their direction. 

"Charity. Through here... now." She was stern, but through a quick smile in for good measure before turning back around. 

Charity sighed and downed the rest of her drink, placing the glass on the table with an air of finality. 

"Better be off, see what her ladyship wants". Her tone was (more than) mildly sarcastic. "See you later, V". She winked as she stood and headed behind the bar without a look back. 

Vanessa sighed as she too rested back in her chair, flustered. For the first time she realised pub was slowly emptying, perhaps it was time to head home, although she knew she'd be tossing and turning all night, a certain blonde on her mind. 


End file.
